Aircraft including swinging stair structure for same



Jan. 5, 1932. l, SIKORSKY 1,839,808

AIRCRAFT INCLUDING SWINGING STA IR STRUCTURE FOR SAME Original Filed Dec. 30, 1929 NTOR BY a ORNE li atented jam. 5, 1932 PTENT OFFICE IGOR SIKOBSKY, OF NICHOLS, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 SIKORSKY AVIATION COB- PORATION, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CRAFT INCLUDING SWING-ING STAI'R SrRUCTUBE FOR SAW Application filed December 30, 1929, Serial No. 417,562. Renewed May 26, 1931.

The present invention relates to aircraft, and has particular reference to the arrangement in an aircraft body, adapted to be entered from the roof, of a. ladder alternately disposable in one compartment of the body for use in entering or leaving the latter, and disposable entirely out of the way in another compartment where it forms a back rest for a seat. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the ladder is swingable about a fixed pivot from one of its positions to the other. When the ladder is in its operative position relative to the seat, a door between the two compartments may be closed for the purpose of completely separating them.

The principal advantage of the invention resides in the ability of the ladder to be entirely removed from a passenger compartment to increase the available space in the latter, in addition to the fact that a definite removal movement of the ladder is prescribed which causes it to assume automatically the its description here is thought to be unnecesposition of a back rest relative to a seat.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of the body-boat of anamphibian,showing the ladder in position between a forward passenger compartment and an after toilet compartment.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the body-boat portion shown in Figure 1, with parts broken away.

Referring to the drawings, reference nu meral 5 indicates the body-boat of an amphibian, although it will be understood that the invention is applicable to the bodies of aircraft of all types. The main passenger com artment of the amphibian isindicated at w ile the toilet compartment is indicated by the reference'numeral 7. A doorway 8 connects the two compartments, and may be closed by means of doors 9 and 10. A hatchway 11 is arranged above and forward of the doorway and is adapted to be closed by means of a hatch 12. I

A ladder 13 which may be of any suitable structural form is operatively disposed beneath the hatchway with its feet resting on a clip 14 in compartment 6 and its top projecting through the doorway somewhat into compartment 7. Secured to the rails of the ladder intermediate their ends and at substantially right angles thereto are a pair of arms 15 and 16, which diverge toward the side walls of compartment 7 and are pivoted on horizontal axes to mounting members 17 and 18, respectively. Immediately behind the vertical plane of the arm axes is a hopper 19 provided with a removable seat cover 20.

When passengers are to be taken aboard or landed, the ladder is, of course, in the position shown in full lines in the drawings. l Vhen it is no longer needed, the ladder is swung about the arm axes into the inverted dotted line pos1t1on a pad 21 fixed on a block 22. When the ladder is in'this position, it is properly disposed to form a back rest for cooperation with the seat of the hopper. Since the general body structure with which the ladder is associated is without importance, so far as the present invention is concerned,

sary.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the structural details present in the single illustrated embodiment, and that it covers all similar structures falling within the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, and a pivotal support for the ladder about which it is swingable to bring it entirely within the other compartment.

2. In an aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, a pivotal support for the ladder about which it is swingable to bring it entire- 1y within the other compartment, and a door shown, wherein its extremity rests on 7, into the other compartment, and means pivthe latter.

' met when the otally supporting the distal end of said arm, the ladder being swingable about said pivotal support from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment and entirely within 4. In an aircraft, a body, compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one ofthe compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, an arm rigidly secured to an intermediate portion of the ladder and extending into the other compartment, means pivotally supporting the distal end of said arm, the ladder being swingable about said pivotal support from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment and entirely within the latter, and adoor in said doorway closable ladder is in said other compart-' a plurality of ment.

5. In an aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway cong said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned .in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, a seat in the other compartment, and a pivotal support for said ladder about WhlCh it is swingableto bring it into said other compartment in back rest for said seat.

6. In an aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, a seat in the other compartment, a pivotal sup ort for said ladder about which 1t is swinga 1e 'to bring it into said other compartment in position to form a back rest for said seat, and a door in said doorway closable when the ladder is in said other compartment.

7. In any aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in sand last named'compartment beneath the hatchway,

position to form a a seat in the other compartment,

an arm rigidly secured to an intermediate point of the ladder and extending into said other compartment, and means pivotally supporting the distal end of said arm, the ladder being swingable about said pivotal support from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment to form a back rest for said seat.

8.- In an aircraft, a body, compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of one of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway, a seat in the other compartment, an arm rigidly secured to an intermediate point of the ladder and extending into said other compartment, means pivotally supporting the distal end of said arm, the ladder being swingable about said pivotal support from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment to form a back rest for said seat, and a door in said doorway closable when the ladder is in said other compartment. 7

9. In an aircraft, a body, compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of oneof the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatchway and facing the other compartment, and a pair of arm's secured to an intermediate portion of said ladder at substantially right angles thereto, said arms diverging away from the ladder and having their projecting ends pivotally supported in said other compartment, the ladder being swingable about the pivotal axis of the arms from its operaa plurality of a plurality of tive position in the one compartment to an a plurality of a doorway conthe pivotal axis of the arms from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position insaid other compartment and entirely within the latter, and a door in said doorway closable when the ladder is in said other compartment.

11. In an aircraft, mbody,

a plurality of compartments in said body a a hatchway at doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned 1n said last named compartment beneath the hatchway and facing the other compartment a seat in said other compartment, a pair 01 arms secured to an intermediate portion of said ladder at substantially right angles thereto, said arms diverging awayfrom the ladder and having their pro ecting ends pivotally suported in said other compartment, the ladder being swingable about the pivotal axis of the arms from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment to form a back rest for said seat.

12. In an aircraft, a body, a plurality of compartments in said body, a doorway connecting said compartments, a hatchway at the top of the compartments adjacent the doorway, a ladder operatively positioned in said last named compartment beneath the hatch way and facing the other compartment, a seat insaid other compartment, a pair of arms secured to an intermediate plortion of said ladder at substantially rig t angles thereto, said arms diverging away from the ladder and having their projecting ends pivotally suported in said other compartment, the ladder being swingable about t e pivotal axis of the arms from its operative position in the one compartment to an inverted position in said other compartment to form a back rest for said seat, and a door in said doorway closable when the laddenis in said other compartment.

Signed at College Point, Long Island, State of New York this 2nd day of November,

IGOR SIKORSKY. 

